Allen, Sims mark second straight duo named finalists for the award that honors Mississippi’s best college baseball student-athlete
STARKVILLE – The No. 2 Mississippi State baseball program will have a pair of finalists for the 2021 C Spire Ferris Trophy, as outfielder Tanner Allen and right-handed pitcher Landon Sims are among the five finalists as announced on Monday (May 10).
The Ferriss Trophy, first awarded in 2004, will be presented virtually on Monday, May 24. The award is named after former Mississippi State and Boston Red Sox pitching great David M. “Boo” Ferriss.
In the 16-year history of the award, six Diamond Dawgs have earned the C Spire Ferriss Trophy on seven occasions, with Jake Mangum (2016 & 19) the only student-athlete to earn the award twice. Brent Rooker (2017), Hunter Renfroe (2012), Chris Stratton (2012), Ed Easley (2007) and Thomas Berkery (2006) have each walked away as Ferriss Trophy winners. The seven winners of the award are the most by any school in the state of Mississippi.
The 2021 event marks just the fourth time in the history of the award that State has had multiple finalists. In 2014, Jacob Lindgren and Ross Mitchell were both finalists, in 2016 the trio of Dakota Hudson, Reid Humphreys and Mangum all earned finalist honors and Mangum joined Ethan Small as finalists in 2019.
The only player in the SEC with a .300 batting average to rank among the top 15 in the conference in runs scored, hits and RBIs, Allen has led the Mississippi State offense all season. He enters the final two weeks of the regular season ranked No. 2 in the SEC with a .379 average, leads the conference in hits (66), ranks No. 3 in the SEC in runs (50) and No. 7 in RBIs (46).
In 45 starts, Allen owns a .463 on-base percentage and has struck out just 27 times in 205 plate appearances. Among the top 50 nationally in hits, runs scored and RBIs in 2021, Allen has been at his best in the SEC as he leads all conference hitters with a .406 batting average, is No. 2 in hits in conference play (39) and RBIs (27), and ranks No. 4 in runs scored (24).
For Sims, the season started with a 10-strikeout effort against No. 9 Texas at the State Farm College Baseball Showdown and hasn’t slowed down a bit as the calendar nears postseason play. The reliever has appeared in 14 games and piled up 63 strikeouts in just 32 innings of work. With a 3-0 record and six saves, Sims owns a 0.56 ERA and a .120 batting average against on the season.
In his 32 innings of work, he has scattered 13 hits and 10 walks to go along with just two runs allowed. He has also stranded five of eight inherited runners on the season. Overall, 65 percent of his outs have come via strikeout and his WHIP sits at 0.71.
In SEC play this season, the second-year freshman has been virtually untouchable. The right-hander has appeared in nine games – eight of which MSU has won – and allowed just one run in 20 1/3 innings of work (0.44 ERA). He is 2-0 with five saves and is limiting opponents to a .106 batting average with a 0.68 WHIP. Of his 61 outs, 33 of them have come via strikeout (54%) and his K/9 is 14.60 in conference games.